Russian and Belarusian individuals associated with special services or the army attempted to cross the border of Latvia
The situation on the border between Latvia and Russia remains calm, but the State Border Guard has encountered attempts by individuals who may have been Russian military or intelligence officers to cross into Latvia.
Guntis Pujats, head of the State Border Guard, stated that these attempts were unsuccessful. He noted that there is no significant increase in the flow of illegal migrants on the Latvian-Russian border. However, border guards occasionally encounter individuals from Russia or Belarus who could be classified as "military personnel" or "combatants," as reported by Delfi.
Pujats mentioned, "They attempt to enter Latvia illegally. We have detained such individuals. They often provide false information and tell contradictory stories. Although they do not openly admit to intentions such as arson or sabotage, their profiles suggest previous involvement with special services."
All individuals involved in such incidents were deported from Latvia.
While the situation on Latvia's border with Russia remains relatively calm, the situation on the Latvian-Belarusian border is somewhat different. Pujats emphasized that during the winter months, the border with Belarus was quiet for about six to seven weeks, leading to the cancellation of the enhanced border security measures.
As TravelWise wrote, the Latvian government has decided to extend restrictions on the entry of Russian citizens into Latvia until next spring, given the security threat from Russia.